Søren Kierkegaard once wrote: “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.”
I don’t entirely agree with Kierkegaard because I think some parts of the Bible are quite difficult to understand, but his point remains valid. The part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus speaks about money is quite clear, and that is what makes so many of us scramble for a convoluted and complicated explanation full of loopholes and exceptions. We become “scheming swindlers” of the Scriptures in order to escape simple obedience to Jesus’ words. Ironically, in the process, we validate Jesus’ point about the idolatrous power of money to twist our loyalties.
But why does Jesus single out money as a temptation when there are so many other false masters we may choose to serve other than God? First, we should note that Jesus is not saying that money or wealth are inherently evil. Scripture is full of godly people who are wealthy. Some were even disciples of Jesus who funded his itinerant ministry. Although it may be used for great good in the hands of a righteous person, money also possesses a dangerous dark side.
Money is an alluring false god precisely because it provides the feeling and illusion of divine power. With money, we can control the world and conform it to our will. It allows us to provide for our needs and desires, overcome scarcity, and manipulate those around us. Wealth can isolate us from the challenges that others face; money can create unique opportunities for those with it that are unavailable to those without it. In this way, unlike many other potential idols, money appears to possess magical abilities. It is near supernatural in its capacity to conform the world to our wills. For this reason, it is one of the most appealing and tempting alternatives to trusting God.
This is why Jesus warned, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). A heart dedicated to an idol as powerful as wealth may feel no need to trust in God. In fact, such a heart will inevitably seek to reduce God to a tool employed to gain more money. This is precisely what “prosperity preachers” tell their misguided flocks that long for control over their lives: Praise Jesus, follow God’s rules, and he will give you the desire of your heart, which is money. And they will cleverly employ, isolate, and twist Scripture to validate this false teaching, which is what scheming swindlers always do.
Daily Scripture
Matthew 6:19-24
Luke 12:13–21
Weekly Prayer
From Henri Nouwen (1932–1996)
Dear Lord, help me keep my eyes on you. You are the incarnation of Divine Love, you are the expression of God’s infinite compassion, you are the visible manifestation of the Father’s holiness. You are beauty, goodness, gentleness, forgiveness, and mercy. In you all can be found. Outside of you nothing can be found. Why should I look elsewhere or go elsewhere? You have the words of eternal life, you are food and drink, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the light that shines in the darkness, the lamp on the lampstand, the house on the hilltop. You are the perfect Icon of God. In and through you I can see and find my way to the Heavenly Father. O Holy One, Beautiful One, Glorious One, be my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Guide, my Counselor, my Comforter, my Hope, my Joy, and my Peace. To you I want to give all that I am. Let me be generous, not stingy or hesitant. Let me give you all—all I have, think, do, and feel. It is yours, O Lord. Please accept it and make if fully your own.
Amen.
